Dialogue 7: Asking Someone's Major
Your teacher is asking the class their majors.
Grammar
See Grammar Notes for Dialogue 7.
Key Vocabulary
1. せんこう major
2. けいざいがく Economics
3. じゃありません [it] is not. [そうじゃありません "It is not correct."]
4. こくさいかんけいろん International Affairs
5. じゃ then
6. なん what [なん precedes です. = なに "what"]
7. コンピュータこうがく Computer Engineering
Key Vocabulary Majors
1. けいざいがく Economics 17. [しゃかいがく] social science
2. こくさいかんけいろん International Affairs 18. [かがく　(科学）] science
3. すうがく mathematics 19. [かがく　（化学）] chemistry
4. コンピュータサイエンス computer science 20. [せいいこうがく] biomedical engineering
5. コンピュータこうがく computer engineering 21. [しんりがく] psychology
6. いがく medical science 22. [おんがく] music
7. こうがく engineering 23. [きょういくがく] education
8. ぶんがく literature 24. [ぶつりがく] physics
9. マネジメント business management 25. [れきし] history
10. [こうがく] [suffix] engineering 26. [びじゅつ] fine arts
11.

[きかいこうがく]

 mechanical engineering 27. [じんるいがく] anthropology
12. [でんきこうがく] electrical engineering 28. [じょうほう こうがく] Information Science
13. [こうくううちゅうこうがく] aerospace engineering 29. [ジャーナリズム] Journalism
14. [けんちくがく] architecture 30. [デジタルメディア] digital media
15. [せいぶつがく] biology 31. [みてい] undecided; undeclared
16. [せいじがく] political science      
English
A: Is your major Economics, Mr. Smith?
B: No, it's not. It's International Affairs.
A: Then, what is your major, Ms. Brown?
C: It's Computer Engineering.
Culture

Japanese majors can be roughly grouped into ぶんけい (Humanities) and りけい (Sciences). The traditional ぶんけい includes ぶんがく, しゃかいがく, けいざいがく, じんるいがく, しんりがく, etc. The traditional りけい includes すうがく, かがく, ぶつりがく, etc. and other engineering majors. Some newer majors like デジタルメディア ("Digital Media") may fall between (or outside of) these categories.

がく (学) in the dialogue is a suffix meaning "study." In combination with a word like けいざい (economy), it can create new words like けいざいがく (study of economy = Economics).　こうがく (工学) is also a suffix meaning "(study of) engineering" and can create new words like でんき こうがく (study of engineering electricity = Electrical Engineering). If your major is not listed above, ask your instructor.